


Just a Game

by PadawanRyan



Category: Jonas Brothers
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bets & Wagers, Christmas, Developing Relationship, F/M, Feelings Realization, Friends With Benefits, Miscarriage, Semi-Public Sex, Underage Nick, Unplanned Pregnancy, Virginity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-04-10
Updated: 2009-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:28:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 16,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadawanRyan/pseuds/PadawanRyan
Summary: Nathalie and Nick were best friends, practically inseparable, even in the bedroom. When Nick's older virgin brother Kevin comes to visit from college, Nick challenges Nat to take his virginity before Christmas Day.But can Nat fulfill the bet without developing feelings for Kevin?
Relationships: Joe Jonas/Original Female Character(s), Kevin Jonas/Original Female Character(s), Nick Jonas/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> All the original characters in this fic are based on people I know and this was written for them (except Nat's nemesis, that was the actual nemesis of the person on whom Nat is based).

“So, my brother’s coming to visit for the holidays.”  
  
My head snapped toward my best friend, eyes wide. In all the time I’d known him, I’d actually never met his brother. Ever since he’d gone to college, he almost never came home, and it was almost like cruel irony that he did only when I was unable to come over. Nick wasn’t even looking at me, but rather fidgeting with the rubix cube in his hands, while he sat in his wheelie chair and I lay on his bed.  
  
“Kevin’s coming?”  
  
“No, Nat. Joe’s coming,” he replied sarcastically. “Of course Kevin’s coming!”  
  
I felt stupid for asking, but I shrugged it off. Nick was a little bitch sometimes, but I suppose that’s what made us such good friends. We were apart in age, he was newly seventeen and I was nearly nineteen, but we were good friends nonetheless. I suppose I was glad that I failed tenth grade science, seeing as I met Nick in the class the second time around. He was a sophomore and I was a junior.  
  
“Well, then. Sorry.”  
  
“Ah, it’s okay. You’re excited. It’s okay.”  
  
“What’s he like?”  
  
“Moody. Lonely. He’s kinda emo, too, I think.”  
  
“Maybe it’s because he’s got a bitch like you for a brother.”  
  
Nick made a mock hurt face, “Ow! That hurts!”  
  
Sitting up, I grabbed the pillow from behind me and threw it at him. He couldn’t possibly blame me for being curious about the brother I never met. His other brother Joe was twenty, and I’d met him plenty of times. He was a year older than me, and was dating my friend Dani. Joe was pretty upbeat most of the time, a total ADD clutz. It made me laugh, since Nick was often a serious sarcastic bitch.  
  
“Seriously, Nick. I woulda expected him to be more like Joe.”  
  
“No way, Kevin’s like the opposite of Joe.”  
  
“Do you guys get along at all?”  
  
“Not really. He likes to stay away from us. We never see him with any friends. I gotta admit, I like making fun of him for being a virgin.”  
  
“How would you know that?”  
  
“He still wears that stupid purity ring.”  
  
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes then. Of course Nick would think it was stupid, he was an incredibly horny teenager. Their parents had given them purity rings when each of them became teenagers, but both Nick and Joe were forced to remove them eventually, losing their virginities. Honestly, I hadn’t expected them to keep it. I was truly surprised that Nick was still wearing his at fifteen, when I met him.  
  
“Maybe Kevin has morals.”  
  
“Or maybe he just can’t get with someone long enough. Or at all.”  
  
“I can see why he hates you.”  
  
Nick gave me the finger, too lazy to actually get up and do anything about my comment. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly and looked out the window. The snow was coming down insanely, and I really didn’t feel like having to walk home in that weather. Sure, Nick only lived two blocks away from me, but snow was my weakness. I hated it, and would avoid it at any chance I got.  
  
“Can I stay over tonight?” I asked.  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Look outside, dipshit. I’m not going home in that.”  
  
He rolled his eyes, “Yeah, sure.”  
  
“Don’t roll your eyes at me! You’re such a jerk sometimes.”  
  
“You know you love it.”  
  
Yes, he was right. I did love it. I loved that Nick acted like a jerk because it gave me the right to act like a jerk in return. He didn’t call me any names, though, and I called him plenty of things, often negative sounding, although he didn’t really care. I was probably a lot meaner to him than he was to me, but honestly, that was just who I was. I thrived in being able to annoy Nick, because it just made me so happy.  
  
“So when’s Kevin coming?”  
  
“Tonight.”  
  
“Tonight? Tonight?! You never mentioned that before!”  
  
“You never asked.”  
  
“Bitch.”  
  
“Whore.”  
  
Okay, he did call me one thing. He called me a whore. He didn’t honestly believe I was a whore, but he liked the joke around with it quite a bit. I had slept with four different guys throughout high school, but in all honesty, I did believe I loved the first three. The fourth was basically just a fuck-buddy, because I had become terminally single, and both he and I needed to satisfy our urges, you could say.  
  
“Only for you.”  
  
He scoffed, “Yeah, nowadays.”  
  
I looked around quickly for something else to throw at the kid, deciding on his remote control. It’s not like he was lying, though, in a sense. Nowadays, the only person who got my body was him. Yes, Nicholas fucking Jonas, my best friend, was my fuck-buddy. I was his first, and I was somewhat proud with that fact. Tossing the remote control at him, I hit him in the head, causing him to swear loudly.  
  
“Fuck, Nat! Don’t do shit like that, or I’ll have to make you fuck Kevin.”  
  
Laughing, I rolled my eyes at him, and stood, opening his bedroom door. I could hear voices downstairs, but I also knew that Joe was there, as were Nick’s parents. I walked across the hall to the bathroom and did my business as quickly as I could. Opening the bathroom door, I noticed someone I hadn’t seen before walk right by me. I knew right away who it must be. Running back to Nick’s room, I slammed the door closed.  
  
“I’ll do it!”  
  
Noticing the confusion on his face, I added, “I’ll fuck Kevin.”


	2. Chapter Two

“I don’t see why the hell you’d do that.”  
  
Why? Maybe because when I saw him for the first time, my heart jumped out of my chest. He was too much for me at one glance. His black skinny jeans, his dark button-up shirt, the scarf around his neck, and his straight hair down in his glasses-covered eyes - the man was fucking gorgeous. If he even had an inkling of who I was, I probably would have pounced on him then and there, but I restrained myself.  
  
“Nick, your brother is fucking hot.”  
  
“Joe?”  
  
“Kevin, you dipshit.”  
  
“He’s already here?”  
  
“Yes, he is. I just saw him in the hallway, and fuck, I want him.”  
  
“You’re crazy.”  
  
Without thinking, I already knew I was crazy. Wanting Kevin didn’t seem like such a crazy act, though. From the way Nick made him sound, I thought he’d be some disgusting guy, but I was honestly confused why he didn’t have girls all over him. Nick was likely just saying that because they’re brothers, though. I’d witnessed the way he acted with Joe, and although they got along sometimes, they could be total dicks toward each other.  
  
“Crazy in love.”  
  
“You don’t love him. You don’t even know him.”  
  
“You’re right, but I want to make love to him.”  
  
Nick made a gagging sound and I rolled my eyes, sitting back on his bed. I understood where he was coming from, I wouldn’t want to hear about sex with my brother either, if I had one. The both of us had actually heard Joe and Dani enough times to be scarred for life, although usually those moments led to us doing something as well. Needless to say, Joe and Dani found out about our situation pretty quickly.  
  
“To each his own,” he muttered.  
  
“Her own, asshole.”  
  
“Like I’m gonna believe that, you whore.”  
  
“You wouldn’t be able to call me a whore if you didn’t know I was a girl.”  
  
“What the fuck does that mean?”  
  
“Well, why do you call me a whore?”  
  
He was silent, and I grinned proudly, knowing I had won the battle. Many times, he joked about me not being a girl, but he had no evidence to back up the thought. It was likely just because he was my best friend, and too often we got remarks about how alike we were. No doubt Nick was not going to believe he was girly, so of course, I had to be masculine. Not that I cared too much, that is.  
  
“So,” I began, “About your brother.”  
  
“Don’t mention him, please.”  
  
“He’s fucking hot, though.”  
  
“I don’t want to hear about that. Just go fuck him.”  
  
How I wish I could. I knew that if I could, I’d charge into the older boy’s room, slam the door, and throw him up against it. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I was apparently so masculine, I was unusually dominant when it came to sex, or really anything. As well, I could probably beat up half of the guys in our school, regardless of the fact that I was only about 100 lbs. Suddenly, I decided to stand up.  
  
“Not yet, but I wanna fuck someone.”  
  
He stood and stared me in the eye, “Is that an invitation?”  
  
“It’s more than that.”  
  
Grabbing the collar of his shirt, I turned him around so that he was closer to the bed, and pushed him down on it. He grinned in anticipation and I climbed over him, and captured his lips in a bruising kiss. The two of us were never quite gentle with each other, considering we never fucked for love, but mostly just to satisfy intense lust. In this case, my body was worked up over seeing Kevin, and I needed some release.  
  
“Hey, you guys –”  
  
My hands were on the buttons of Nick’s shirt, having undone at least two of them when Joe showed up in the doorway. It was just like him not to knock, and we’re lucky he’s the only one who never did, because this would be a compromising position to be caught in by their parents. I parted from Nick and looked up at Joe, who’s eyes were wide, but I knew he wasn’t in the last surprised at what he saw.  
  
“Which one of you is horny this time?”  
  
Nick pointed at me, so I rolled my eyes and replied, “Does it matter?”  
  
“Look, just hurry this up. It’s time for dinner.”  
  
I nodded and Joe left the room. We knew better than to continue when minutes later, their mother would probably come up looking for Nick. Nobody except Joe, and I suppose Kevin, knew I was there, but likely Joe was informing everyone. I sat back at the end of the bed, across from my best friend as he re-buttoned his shirt. As he stood up, I did the same, and he smiled at me devilishly.  
  
“Hey Nat, I’ve got a proposition for you.”  
  
“What do you have in mind?”  
  
“Just a game. You want to fuck Kevin, right?” I nodded. “Well, why don’t we make a bet?”  
  
“What sort of bet?”  
  
“You have until Christmas, six days away, to get him in bed.”  
  
I had to think for a moment. Would I actually be able to get my best friend’s older brother to sleep with me in only six days? I certainly wanted him to, so I wasn’t gonna say no. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to say yes either. Sex wasn’t just a game to me, at least, not when it involved anyone other than Nick. I contemplated it as quickly as I could, and Nick was looking at me in anticipation for an answer.  
  
“What happens if I lose?”  
  
“You do Joe’s laundry all month. And if you win, I’ll be washing the sheets on Kevin’s bed.”  
  
I laughed, and shook his hand, “Deal.”


	3. Chapter Three

“So what were you guys up to all day?”  
  
Nick and I both stopped everything when his mother asked that. She wasn’t being accusatory, of course, but what could we tell her? What we had honestly spent the day doing was sitting around, talking about Kevin, and we almost fucked. I didn’t think that sounded too appropriate, and I knew Nick was thinking the same thing. I glanced at him a moment, before he decided to take the question.  
  
“Oh, you know. We just sat around, watched a little TV.”  
  
“You didn’t go outside at all?”  
  
“Mom, look at it out there. No way we’re going in that.”  
  
Although I knew Nick was feeling a little awkward, I could only laugh. Being at his place was never awkward for me. To be honest, I enjoyed every bit of it. It had been about a year and a half since my first time there, and I was nearly always there. Denise and Paul, their parents, treated me just like part of the family. They trusted me and Nick alone, even though we knew that they really shouldn’t.  
  
“So Nat, this is your first time meeting Kevin, isn’t it?”  
  
I nodded, “Yeah, I guess so.”  
  
Denise looked at Kevin, “This is Nick’s best friend, Nathalie. She practically lives here.”  
  
“I just can’t resist your cooking, Mrs. J.”  
  
“Oh, stop, you’re too wonderful. Are you staying the night?”  
  
I nodded, taking a bite of roast beef so that I wouldn’t have to say anything. I guess it didn’t make much of a difference, since I really did love the roast beef anyway. Taking a quick glance over at Kevin, I noticed him glance at me quickly, before looking down at his food. Maybe Nick was right, perhaps he was emo, because if not, he’d have to be very shy. He still looked absolutely adorable, his glasses slipping to the end of his nose.  
  
“Why don’t you all go out tonight? I mean everyone, including Joe and Kevin.”  
  
“Mom,” Nick began, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  
  
“Why not? I think you all need to get out of the house.”  
  
Joe then spoke up, “I just think he’s implying that we don’t want to. Not in the snow.”  
  
“Then all of you should watch a movie. You know, bond together.”  
  
I had to stuff more roast beef in my mouth to resist from laughing. Nick and I did enough bonding, and so much more. We did enough bonding with Joe as well to know that sometimes, it’s just not needed. I wanted to bond with Kevin, though. Not just fuck him, but get to know him. He seemed so distant, it was intriguing. I swallowed my food, and then turned to face Nick, giving him a pleading look.  
  
“Yeah, sure mom,” he replied.  
  
“Wonderful!”  
  
“Whatever you say.”  
  
We finished up dinner pretty quickly, but not without me asking for seconds. I wanted to stay at the table as long as Kevin was there, but sadly, he took off to his room straight after I received seconds. I ate as fast as I could before running up to Nick’s room, where he had already disappeared to. I stifled a laugh as I walked in and noticed him laying on the bed, pillow returned to it’s spot, with the rubix cube in his hands.  
  
“Seriously, Nick, you’re obsessed with that thing.”  
  
“I’ll beat it someday.”  
  
“You’ll beat something, and that won’t be it.”  
  
He sent me a glare, but I just rolled my eyes in amusement. It was just like me to make a masturbation joke, even though he rarely did it anymore. Because I was there, he never exactly needed to. That was kinda the idea behind what we did. I walked over to the bed and shoved him off, a little bit of a struggle used at first. Nick ended up on the floor with a loud thump, leading Joe to run into the room.  
  
“Are you okay? What happened in here?”  
  
“Nothing, Joseph dear. Nick’s just a jackass.”  
  
“That’s old news.”  
  
“Something which needs to be acknowledged every day, though.”  
  
“Touché.”  
  
Nick groaned as he stood up and saw Joe and I standing there laughing. I had known Joe longer than I’d known Nick, so even though we didn’t get along as well, we had a great time teasing Nick. As soon as he got close enough, he shoved me aside, pushing me straight into his older brother. I shoved him back, pushing him back onto the bed. Joe turned away as I did that, and covered his ears.  
  
“No sex! No sex when I’m here!”  
  
“Cool it, Joe, we’re not gonna fuck. Not now.”  
  
“Surprising. Why not?”  
  
“I’ve got someone else in mind.”  
  
I looked away, out the snowy window, grinning. Joe seemed very confused, and for a moment his eyes widened, as if he were scared that it was him. I laughed and shook my head, and he let out a sigh of relief. He looked to Nick for answers, but Nick said nothing. I turned my head back toward the confused twenty year old boy standing beside me, and bit my lip, still smiling like a child.  
  
“It’s Kevin.”  
  
“Wait, woah, hold up! Kevin? My brother Kevin?!”  
  
Joe placed his hands on his head and began pacing the room dramatically. Sadly, he wasn’t doing it for attention or dramatic effect, either. I knew damn well what Joe was like, and he actually behaved like that. It seemed like he was going to explode angrily, but I stayed calm, and stood there watching. I glanced a moment to my best friend, who was intrigued again by the rubix cube, before turning back to Joe.  
  
“You’ll never do it, you know.”  
  
“Yeah, well, I have to try. I made a bet with Nick that I could.”  
  
“Are you fucking crazy, woman?!”  
  
“I must be. Does it make me even crazier that I plan to win this bet?”


	4. Chapter Four

“Who’s gonna sit where?”  
  
I have no idea why, but we all decided to watch the movie in Nick’s room. I suppose since he was at home all the time, his room had the biggest TV. Actually, I know that’s why he had the biggest TV, but I didn’t understand why we didn’t just go down to the living room. Joe claimed he wanted a comfortable place to sit, something like the bed, but I was quite sure that he wouldn’t get it to himself.  
  
“Not sure,” Nick said.  
  
“What about when Dani arrives?”  
  
“No doubt she’ll sit with Joe.”  
  
“Fuck, they’ll be on the bed. Where the hell and I gonna sit?”  
  
“Floor? With Kevin?”  
  
That idea seemed interesting. Nick would more than likely be in the wheelie chair, and with Joe and Dani on the bed, Kevin would be stuck on the floor. Maybe I coulda sat beside him, leaning on him a few times. Or maybe perhaps I coulda sat in front of him, leaning back into his chest. Likely, that wouldn’t have happened, but I wasn’t about to give up hope. After all, I did have a bet to win.  
  
“I think that idea seems fine.”  
  
“Whore.”  
  
“Bitch.”  
  
“Hey guys,” Dani said, entering the room, “Don’t fight.”  
  
Of course that would be the first thing Dani says when she arrives. She didn’t mind that Nick and I play fought all the time, but she liked to be the peacemaker, so that neither of us ended up bruised. Yeah, like that ever stopped us. She sat herself down on the bed beside us, smiling like she knew something. Instantly, I knew exactly what it was about. It wasn’t like Joe to keep a secret from his own girlfriend.  
  
“Dani? Stop looking at me like that.”  
  
“You wanna fuck Kevin.”  
  
“Yes, and?”  
  
Dani just continued to smile, and I was starting to get a little aggravated. If she wasn’t a girl, I would have shoved her off the bed. I definitely did not like to hit girls, and I suppose that was another masculine part of me coming out, even though the apparently manly Nick would hit me. Before I had the chance to say anything, Joe entered the room with his older brother walking slowly behind him.  
  
“Dani and I get the bed,” he stated. “Called it.”  
  
Both Nick and I rolled our eyes as we climbed off the bed. I had considered asking Joe if I could steal the bean bag chair from his room, but decided against it as I took a glance at Kevin. He looked basically the same as earlier, except he’d gotten rid of the scarf. I was able to see more how small he actually was, kinda scrawny, but through his somewhat tight shirt, I could see some muscles.  
  
“Fine. I’ll sit on the floor,” I huffed out.  
  
“Don’t be so moody about it, you whore.”  
  
“Oh, fuck off dipshit.”  
  
“Come on you guys,” Joe butted in, “Get along for a little while, okay?”  
  
I smacked Joe’s head before seating myself next to Kevin, who was leaning against the closet door. The entire time, he had been pretty quiet, and I wondered whether he was going to talk to us at all. I turned to face him for a moment, but his eyes were on the TV, even though the movie hadn’t been put in yet. Nick quickly put _The Matrix_ in the DVD player, knowing full well that I’d thank him for it later.  
  
“Are you kidding, Nick? _The Matrix_ , seriously?”  
  
“Nat got to choose the movie tonight.”  
  
The face Joe made was something non-describable, but certainly amusing. I knew exactly what he was planning to do during the movie, and I had hoped that I would be doing something similar. Smiling to myself, I scooted slightly closer to the eldest Jonas boy, although he didn’t seem to notice me in the least. Nick chuckled a bit at this, and I sent him a glare, which surprisingly he saw in the dark.  
  
“Calm down, Nat.”  
  
“Fuck you, bitch.”  
  
For the first time all night, Kevin spoke, “Why are you guys so mean to each other?”  
  
I wanted to faint when I heard Kevin speak. His voice was so angelic, it matched his look completely. It was a little higher than both Nick and Joe, and I just wanted to hear more of it. Nick ignored the question, and I had no idea what to say. My mind was still reeling from the fact that he finally spoke. My breath almost caught in my throat when he turned to look at me through his glasses and his hair.  
  
“Why are you guys always fighting? Aren’t you best friends?”  
  
“Best friends can joke around, y’know.”  
  
“He calls you a whore.”  
  
“Meh...he sorta has a reason for that. Not saying why, though.”  
  
He nodded as if he understood, but I knew he still had more questions. Nick and I had a very complex friendship that would leave anyone confused. Getting even closer, I leaned my head onto Kevin’s shoulder. I could feel him tense up a bit, as if he was uncomfortable, but I didn’t dare move. Eventually, his body seemed to loosen up a bit, and I smiled to myself. I could see Nick holding back a laugh out of the corner of my eye.  
  
“Shut up, jackass.”  
  
I looked his way to see him stick his tongue out at me. Behind him, on the bed, I could see Joe on top of Dani, their lips locked in a passionate make-out session. My eyes went wide, and I pointed at them. Nick turned around and quickly turned away from them, making a gagging sound. I could tell Kevin was looking at them too, and inside I was laughing when I heard him scoff lightly at the sight.  
  
“Every time I visit, they do this.”  
  
“I’m surprised you met Dani before you met me.”  
  
“I kinda wish I met you first. You talk to me instead of making out with my brother.”  
  
My heart swelled and I grinned, “Well, you could make out with someone if you wanted...”


	5. Chapter Five

“You serious? I’m not going to make-out with my brothers.”  
  
I couldn’t hold back the laugh there. Did he honestly believe that’s what I was getting at? Obviously the guy never spent enough time with other people, he seriously must have had no friends. Nick was still trying not to laugh and I felt the desire to kick him, but decided against it. Looking back at the older boy, I couldn’t believe him. He was grinning like an idiot. I had been fooled, he was trying to fuck with me.  
  
“Oh, you’re not funny.”  
  
He cocked an eyebrow, or I was sure of it, “Oh really? Nick seems to think so.”  
  
“Nick’s an idiot. He doesn’t know shit.”  
  
Trying to stay as calm as I could was difficult. He basically implied that he knew exactly what I was thinking, but he wasn’t saying anything about it or acting on it. The hottest guy I’ve ever met finally speaks to me and he’s fucking around with my thoughts? Damn, I picked a good one. For the first time in ages, I suddenly didn’t feel too dominant anymore. I wanted Kevin to make the moves on me.  
  
“Well, what are you waiting for?” he then asked.  
  
“Um, what?”  
  
“It sounded like you were implying something there.”  
  
“Oh...oh! Damn, sorry, I just got a little sidetracked, I suppose.”  
  
“So are you going to or not?”  
  
For a moment I felt embarrassed, not something that happened a lot since meeting Nick, but it passed quickly. I leaned in, and captured Kevin’s lips with mine. We had only been joined for a moment when he put his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss. For someone who apparently had no friends, he was an incredible kisser. I hadn’t realized it at first, but I moaned in the kiss, and Nick’s cough broke us apart.  
  
“Look, we’ve already got Joe and Dani over here. Don’t remind me how single I am.”  
  
“You can join in if you want.”  
  
“Ew! You fucking whore! No way, leave me alone.”  
  
I laughed at Nick’s immature childish response, and just leaned into Kevin again. This time I decided to actually watch the movie, realizing that I’d missed a good chunk of it. I didn’t care all too much though, because I honestly only really watched it to stare at Keanu Reeves. As the movie ended, we all realized how awake we still were, so I searched around in Nick’s DVDs in the closet before tossing him one.  
  
“Are you serious? It’s _The Matrix Reloaded_.”  
  
“Yes, and?”  
  
“It’s another one.”  
  
“And I wanna watch it, so stop whining like a bitch and put it in.”  
Only moments later when Kevin snickered did I realize what that comment sounded like. I couldn’t rightfully tell him, though, that I’d probably said something similar to Nick in a situation like that. I mean, what guy is gonna fuck you when they know you’ve fucked their younger brother? I didn’t realize how comfortable I must have been with Kevin, because while watching the movie, I must have passed out.  
  
“Nat, wake up. Come on.”  
  
I opened my eyes and yawned, seeing Nick standing over me, lightly kicking my stomach. Irritated, I punched his ankle, but I was too tired to do it really hard. Pulling myself up a bit to sit, I realized I was still on the floor. Kevin was laying beside me, his glasses still on his face, but laying slightly askew. Joe and Dani were asleep together on the bed, and I had no doubt that Nick slept in the chair all night.  
  
“Lemme sleep, dickhead.”  
  
“You’ve been sleeping all morning. We have to do our Christmas shopping.”  
  
“On a Sunday?”  
  
“The mall will be less crowded. Hurry your ass up.”  
  
“Hurry it for me.”  
  
He glared at me a moment before grabbing my arm and yanking me up, giving my ass a tight squeeze. I slapped him hard in the head, muttering about how I was being sarcastic, then rubbed my sore butt. Looking down at the sleeping guy on the floor, I felt bad for suddenly leaving, but Nick grabbed my arm then and dragged me out of the room. I wanted to hit him badly, but I knew it was just his morning behaviour.  
  
“Let go, bitch. I need to get ready.”  
  
He rolled his eyes and I pulled away from him, entering the bathroom and closing the door. Likely I wouldn’t get the time to shower, so I just brushed my teeth with my best friend’s tooth brush, and brushed through my hair. I also checked to make sure my eyeliner wasn’t smudged before heading out the door and rushing down the stairs to meet Nick. He was standing my the front door, running a hand through his hair while yawning.  
  
“Ready to go?”  
  
“You sure you’re not too tired, Nicky boy?”  
  
“I’m fine, now lets go.”  
  
As soon as he opened the door, I grabbed my coat from the hook, and groaned. There was so much snow outside, and Nick and I had to walk to the mall in it. The mall was a good twenty minute walk away, and it was aggravating to trudge through the cold white death. Seriously, I wanted to murder the snow. Nick shared my feelings, which was another reason why we were such good friends. Sometimes we planned out how we’d murder the snow.  
  
“So what was that with you and Kevin last night?”  
  
“Oh, that? I made an offer and he took me up on it.”  
  
“Fast, too. He’s usually not like that.”  
  
“Yeah, well, being with me is a life changing experience.”  
  
“You got that right.”  
  
I grinned happily, feeling proud of that. Although Nick had said it grumpily and somewhat sarcastically, I knew it was true. Before he met me, he was basically a good boy. He always went to class, did basically everything he was told, and was still a virgin. It’s not like I skip class a lot, but far more than he ever had. Thinking to myself, I could help but grin even more, holding myself tightly in the cold.  
  
“I’m gonna win that bet, Nicholas. Just you see.”


	6. Chapter Six

“My ass you’re gonna win that bet.”  
  
Reaching out, I gave his ass a tight squeeze the way he had done to mine earlier that morning. He smacked away my hand, but I just laughed. He was mumbling something about abuse, which caused me to laugh even more. I threw my arms around my best friend, but he just groaned and tried to shove me off. He stopped walking, as did I, and we just stood there for a while, him not seeming very amused.  
  
“Let go of me, please.”  
  
“Not a chance.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“You’re hot, I’m cold. I’m warming myself up.”  
  
“Fuck you, let go.”  
  
I rolled my eyes and sighed, taking my arms from him. He continued to walk again, as if it were nothing, and I quickly caught up. Just looking at the way Nick was, I wondering how the hell he could be related to Kevin. He was right when he said they were nothing alike, although Kevin had a little bit of Joe’s demeanour in his joking side. Nick likely never saw the joking side though, and I realized that as we approached the mall.  
  
“Okay, captain Jonas,” I began, “Where to first?”  
  
“One, don’t call me that. Two, we’re going to HMV first.”  
  
“Buying someone a CD?”  
  
“I figure you’ll shut up if I do.”  
  
I stuck out my tongue at him, but inside I was squealing. I had wanted to get both Marianas Trench CDs for a while, and never thought about buying them when I actually had money. No doubt Nick would get me one if not both. I followed him into the huge music store, and went to check out posters while he went toward the pop/rock section. As he approached me moments later, I pretended not to notice.  
  
“Find anything you like?”  
  
“He’s tall, curly brown hair, dark eyes, and is buying me a CD.”  
  
His eyes narrowed and he shook his head, while I laughed. I stood on my toes a moment and placed a kiss on his cheek, which caused him to smile, and take me into his arms. He leaned down to kiss my neck, but I shoved him off. He seemed both confused and angry, and the pout he gave caused me to burst out into laughter. That seemed to anger him more, so I kissed his cheek again.  
  
“Not here. Pay for your shit, come on.”  
  
Nick did just as I told him, and ran off to pay for his stuff. I had to shake my head. The kid was so incredibly sex-crazed, it was insane. Although, I had to admit to myself, it wasn’t the first time we’d fucked in the mall. Returning from paying for his stuff, he looked to me expectantly, and I grinned slyly as I led him out of the store and down toward the bathrooms. Although we wouldn’t be able to get in the bathrooms together, the stone hallway was empty.  
  
“Here again?”  
  
“Oh shut up, bitch, and kiss me.”  
  
He complied, and shoved me up against the wall as he did so, pressing his obvious erection against me. I had to smile into the sloppy kiss, since I loved when Nick decided to act all dominantly. It didn’t happen incredibly often. I parted my legs, and linked them around his, pulling him closer in the process. He moaned as I did so, and moved his lips from him so that they were on my neck.  
  
“Fuck Nick, that feels so good.”  
  
No reply, he bit down on my neck, and I gasped. He knew very well not to leave a mark, at the fear that we’d be discovered by our parents, so he just bit and nibbled. I reached down and unfastened his belt, hurriedly going for his zipper. His dick was aching to get out, to get some attention, I could tell. I pulled his jeans down slightly, allowing his dick some escape, and reached into his briefs.  
  
“Holy fuck! Not at the mall, you pervs!”  
  
Nick removed his lips from my neck and we both looked to the side. There, standing at the end of the stone hall was Joe, shielding his eyes. I laughed as Nick let out a sigh of relief. At least it had only been Joe. Nick stood up straight, pulling his pants and zipper back up before refastening his belt, and I composed myself as well. Grabbing his HMV bag, he made his way toward Joe, and I followed.  
  
“The mall, you guys? Seriously?”  
  
“Don’t pretend like you and Dani never have.”  
  
“Actually, we haven’t.”  
  
I grinned, “Oh, well when we tell her about it, you will.”  
  
“That’s not the point! What if you’d been caught?”  
  
“We were.”  
  
“By me! If it had been anyone else, likely security would have come.”  
  
I had to roll my eyes at Joe. Usually he wasn’t like that. His nickname was ‘Danger’ after all, but I suppose he wasn’t incredibly thrilled with having seen me with my hand down his younger brother’s pants. I walked up closer to Joe and stood on my toes, placing my chin on his shoulder, looking at him with a smile.  
  
“Come on, Joseph. Calm down.”  
  
“You guys are a pair of fucking horny teenagers.”  
  
“Nick is. I’m not a teenager, remember?”  
  
How could he forget? Ever since I turned eighteen, I wouldn’t shut up about it. He still tried to insist that I was a teenager as long as the word ‘teen’ appeared in my age, thus making him the only adult of us two, but I wasn’t buying it. It was then that I begun to wonder about Kevin. I knew he was older than both Joe and Nick, but how old was he exactly? I had never bothered to find out.  
  
“Joe? How old is Kevin?”  
  
“Twenty-two since November.”  
  
I grinned. Twenty-two? That wasn’t too bad. I was almost nineteen, he was less than four years older than me, and I could live with that. I wondered then whether he knew my age, because it would be somewhat disturbing to think that he was making out with a teenager. I’m an adult too, and that was something I planned to let him know soon. Removing my chin from Joe’s shoulder when I saw Dani, I smiled.  
  
“Go catch up, lover boy. I’ve got some business to do.”


	7. Chapter Seven

“So what’s this apparent business you have to do?”  
  
I hadn’t really had anything I needed to do, but I suppose Nick hadn’t realized that. I decided to think of something to do, perhaps even just a playful idea to bug Nick, but I couldn’t think of anything. Just as I was about to open my mouth to talk, I thought I saw someone from the other side of the mall. Such a far view, I was probably wrong. I was right about it, though, and basically froze in spot.  
  
“Nat? Don’t tell me you think you saw Bam again. He’s not here.”  
  
“No, it’s not that...”  
  
“Then what the fuck – oh. Fucking hell.”  
  
He saw exactly what I was staring at, or rather who. There, across the mall in all his glory, was Kevin himself. He was wearing different clothes, so he had likely only arrived. I had to admit, he looked even sexier then than he had the night before, in his skinny jeans, a white button up shirt, and a black trench coat. In my mind, I was playing an image of him walking in slow motion, so I could savour every move he made.  
  
“Snap out of it. It’s only Kevin.”  
  
“Fucking sexy Kevin.”  
  
“Don’t talk about my brother like that.”  
  
“Why not? He’s incredibly fucking sexy, I’m not denying that!”  
  
“Why me, God? Why?”  
  
I rolled my eyes and shoved Nick over. Of course, ever competitive Nick had to shove back, as if it were some sort of game. Again, I shoved him, and this continued on for a good few minutes before I lost my balance. It was like something out of a movie, because as I fell backward, a pair of arms caught me. Looking up, I saw the gorgeous smile of Kevin above me, and I completely melted in his arms.  
  
“Need any help?”  
  
I couldn’t even reply to him, I was lost within his eyes. Nick was snickering, and I attempted to kick him, but failed terribly in the position I was in. Kevin helped pull me up, and after readjusting my jacket, I turned and smiled at him. Not sure of what to do, I decided to hold out my hand for him, perhaps so he could shake it. Instead, Kevin laughed a little bit, and I raised my eyebrow at him.  
  
“What’s so funny?”  
  
“Don’t you think we’re a little past that part?”  
  
I thought for a moment, “Oh! Yeah, I guess we kinda are.”  
  
“Are you busy today?”  
  
“Uh, not really. Why do you want to know?”  
  
“Shop with me?”  
  
Eagerly, I was tempted to just scream out a ‘yes’, but I suddenly remembered that I was there with Nick. Even though he was being a total bitch, he wouldn’t appreciate if I ran off with Kevin all morning. I looked over to my best friend with a pleading look, and as I expected, he was glaring at me in return. I bit my lip, trying to look as innocent and upset as I could without crying, and he sighed.  
  
“Yeah, go off and have fun. Meet me back here in two hours.”  
  
“Thanks Nicky!”  
  
I jumped forward to give him a hug, but Nick shoved me off, muttering as he walked away. Rolling my eyes, I knew he was just mad because I was getting closer to winning the bet. Needless to say, he likely didn’t want to wash Kevin’s sheets, especially after I win the bet, since they would be far past dirty. Kevin and I began to walk slowly through the mall, silently at first, before he finally spoke up.  
  
“So, you and Nick are pretty violent with each other.”  
  
“That the way we are, I guess.”  
  
“You were gone when I woke up this morning.”  
  
“Nick got me up early.”  
  
“You two Christmas shopping as well?”  
  
All I could do was nod. Even though I was basically an outgoing and sometimes crude person, being around Kevin made me incredibly shy. I didn’t know what to say to him, and I feared that I was blushing as he spoke. I wasn’t too worried, though, considering he looked so shy all the time anyway. When I looked up at him, he was avoiding my gaze, as if he were also afraid of what his eyes might say.  
  
“Kevin?”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“Why aren’t you looking at me?”  
  
“Oh, it’s just – ”  
  
“You have a gorgeous smile. I want to see it more.”  
  
He turned to face me, a shy but definitely gorgeous. I hadn’t lied to him in the least when I said that. I smiled back to him, and we stopped in place, him leaning in closely. He was going to kiss me, I was sure of it. Just as his lips were almost on mine, an odd look crossed his face, and he stared straight ahead. I turned and froze a moment, nearly screaming, but I couldn’t find my voice. I guess my help wasn’t needed at all.  
  
“Fucking hell! Joe and Dani, you fucking horndogs!”  
  
Neither of them appeared to have heard me. In the same hallway Nick and I had been in, down at the end, were Joe and Dani, definitely having gotten farther than my best friend and I had. Joe had Dani held up and pressed against the wall, pulling her down on his dick repeatedly, moans spilling from both their mouths when their lips actually parted. I grabbed Kevin’s arm, and turned him away from the sight.  
  
“Let’s not watch them right now.”  
  
“Some people, huh? In public. I’m guessing this isn’t the first time you’ve seen it?”  
  
I shrugged and shook my head slightly. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen Joe and Dani together, and it wasn’t the first time in public either. It was the first time they fucked in the mall, and I only knew that because of Joe’s earlier confession. Slowly, Kevin and I walked away, me quickly getting rid of the images in my head. Inching slightly closer to the older boy, I grabbed his wrist and stopped him.  
  
“Kevin, what do you want for Christmas?”


	8. Chapter Eight

“You don’t need to get me anything. Please.”  
  
Of course, when Kevin said that, I had to protest. I told him I had years of not knowing him to make up for. He insisted that everything would be fine as long as I went to a movie with him the next day. Inside, I was squealing like a little girl. So after Christmas shopping, Nick came back to my place with me. He didn’t come over much, since my mom didn’t like me being alone in my room with guys, but my mom wasn’t home.  
  
“So why are you so happy?”  
  
“Kevin asked me out!”  
  
“Wait, what? My older brother Kevin? My moody fucking older brother asked you out?”  
  
“He doesn’t seem so moody, y’know.”  
  
“Only since he met you.”  
  
Nick was beyond angry. He may not have looked angry, but I could tell he was. It wasn’t because his brother liked me, but because it seemed that I was going to win the bet. That wasn’t what Nick wanted, and I knew that more than anyone. I was determined to win the bet, though, so I was quite thrilled that Kevin had asked me out. The girly side of me was showing it’s occasional hype at the time.  
  
“Come on, Nick! Cheer up!”  
  
“Why? So you can fuck my brother and win the bet?”  
  
“Like your punishment is as terrible as mine will be.”  
  
That part was true. I would much rather wash sweaty sex-smelling sheets after one night than do Joe’s laundry for a month. Joe’s clothes usually ended up pretty disgusting smelling, and nobody was quite sure why, but nobody wanted to find out either. I had a pretty good feeling that sometimes it had a little to do with him and Dani, but I wasn’t about to ask either about it. Sitting beside Nick on my bed, I put my arm around him.  
  
“Lighten up, bitch.”  
  
Smiling, I just looked around my room. It was far different from Nick’s, which was basically clean and tidy, and pretty big. My room was tiny, and a disaster, with posters and writing on every inch of the walls. There was a framed photograph above my computer desk of Nick and I at my senior prom. Considering I had no one to go with, and he wanted to check it out so he knew what to expect, he came as my date.  
  
“Just promise me one thing?”  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“After you guys have fucked, don’t rub it in my face.”  
  
“Can’t promise you that, bitch.”  
  
“You fucking whore.”  
  
“You love it.”  
  
As if what I had said set him off, Nick grinned at me slyly before pushing me down on my bed, climbing on top of me and straddling my legs. I couldn’t help but smile in anticipation when he undid the button on my jeans, and unzipped them. Slowly, he pulled them down only slightly, before letting his hand disappear within my underwear. I bit my lip and instantly became wet as a finger slipped inside me.  
  
“You like that, don’t you?”  
  
“Fuck, Nick...”  
  
“You’re so fucking horny.”  
  
I didn’t get the chance to respond before Nick slipped in another finger. Yeah, I was fucking horny, but usually I was. He knew that too, and it was safe to say that this exchange happened between us nearly every day, and sometimes more than once a day, too. As he slipped in a third finger, I began to feel a little bit of pain from his knuckles hitting the bones down there, and the pain must have been evident in my face.  
  
“Aww, Nat, you know it’s okay. I’ve got something else for you.”  
  
He pulled my jeans down more the just a little further, so they sat around my shins. Leaning in, he brought his face down to my wetness, and flicked his tongue out. I gasped and threw my head back as he did that, my body wriggling in pleasure as he continued to lap up my juices with his tongue. I reached down with one hand and stuck my hand in his curls, pulling his face closer into me.  
  
“Fucking hell Nick...don’t stop.”  
  
Basically obeying me, he didn’t stop. His tongue flicked against my clit a couple times, causing me to basically buck my hips, forcing myself upon him even more. I nearly cried out when he pushed a finger again, while still eating me out at the same time. For a kid who had only been a virgin a year earlier, he was way too good at what he did. When he removed himself, I whined, but he chuckled in return.  
  
“That’s enough.”  
  
“Fuck, you tease.”  
  
“Hey, if you actually manage to get my brother in bed, you won’t need me.”  
  
“Damn right I won’t. I’m looking forward to it.”  
  
“Oh, you know I’ve got you begging.”  
  
Sometimes, that was true. Okay, most of the time that was true, but he made an excellent point before. Once I managed to get Kevin to submit to me, I wouldn’t need Nick anymore. Of course, until Kevin took off to college again after the holidays, but somehow, I didn’t think that mattered yet. Pulling my jeans back up, I sat up, and nipped my best friend’s ear before standing up and looking around.  
  
“Where the hell are you going?”  
  
I turned to face him, “Wanna play Ed Hunter for a bit? I’m kinda bored.”  
  
He nodded, and stood behind me as I sat at my computer desk, where my laptop was seated. Ed Hunter was my favourite computer game, an Iron Maiden based game where you basically go around shooting things. Nick and I often played it together in two player, and it was no secret that I always beat him. To be honest, though, I’d been playing it for at least three years before I met him.  
  
“Are you gonna change the song list this time?”  
  
“Why not? I don’t like hearing the same ones over and over.”  
  
“Whatever. It’s not gonna help you, anyway.”  
  
I grinned, “That’s only because I don’t need help. You suck at this game.”


	9. Chapter Nine

“You seriously insist on staying at my place for the next four days?”  
  
Why did he have to question me? He knew I was serious about it. We had spent the previous night at my house, throwing on movies after we got tired of Ed Hunter, and watching until we fell asleep. Nobody questioned it, but we had to sneak out in the morning so my mom wouldn’t see. After spending another day at the mall, Nick and I returned to his place so I could prepare for my date.  
  
“Yupp. You know your mom won’t care.”  
  
“She’s not the one who has to share a bed with you.”  
  
“Your mom doesn’t know we share a bed.”  
  
“Hopefully she never finds out.”  
  
“Yeah, well, maybe soon I’ll be sharing with Kevin instead.”  
Nick rolled his eyes and I tried to choose a shirt. With the amount of time I spent at his place, I had left nearly half my wardrobe somewhere in his room, which came in handy if I wanted to change clothes. I was standing there in jeans and my bra, not feeling the least bit uncomfortable considering Nick had seen me in less before. In one hand was my grey Jim Morrison T-shirt, and in the other was a white and black striped shirt with a black collar.  
  
“Go with the striped one.”  
  
“Why that one?”  
  
“It’s not as casual. It’s a date, right? Don’t go too casual.”  
  
Sometimes I could swear Nick was gay, but seeing the way he was in bed completely defeated that point. He had just spent way too much time, and along the line learned a couple things about girls. Although, I’m sure he didn’t quite learn them from me. Tossing the Jim Morrison one onto Nick’s bed, I pulled on the black and white striped top, and looked at myself in his full-length mirror, smiling.  
  
“Thanks Nick. Do I look sexy?”  
  
“How the fuck should I know?”  
  
“Fuck you, dipshit. You get turned on by me.”  
  
“Nahh, you’re more of a plaything, really. Kinda like a live blow-up doll.”  
  
I slapped him so hard in the shoulder, he almost fell off his wheelie chair. That idea made me laugh, and I grabbed my grey plaid hat from his desk, putting it on my head and making sure my bangs were parted right. I gave my best friend one last wave before exiting his room, and making my way down the hall to Kevin’s room. I knocked on his door, and only waited a moment before he answered.  
  
“Ready?”  
  
He was the one to speak to me, considering I was speechless when I saw him. Fuck, that boy knew how to dress. In the skinny jeans again, he was wearing a tight green T-shirt, adorned with a light grey scarf. His brown hair was perfect, laying in his hazel eyes, which sparkled behind his glasses as he smiled. I noticed down in his hand was a flatiron, and I guessed that without straightening his hair, it’d probably be similar to Nick’s.  
  
“Uhh...yeah, sorry. Yeah, I’m ready.”  
  
“Good, let’s get going.”  
  
Kevin placed the flatiron on his desk, in which I got a quick glance at his room. It wasn’t nearly as tidy as Nick’s, but certainly not as messy as Joe’s. Closing the door, he led me down the stairs, where their father was sitting in a living room chair watching TV. He told us to have fun as Kevin grabbed his trench coat and I grabbed my grey plaid jacket, and we headed out the door, in which Kevin lead me to a white car I hadn’t seen before.  
  
“You can drive?”  
  
“Of course. I’m twenty-two, I’ve been driving for years.”  
  
“You better than Nick? Because seriously, I’m afraid to get into a car with him. Again.”  
  
He laughed, “Don’t worry, I’m much better than Nick.”  
  
“Good. At least I can trust someone not to kill me.”  
  
I climbed into the passenger seat as he climbed into the driver’s seat, and he started the car. Just pulling away from the curb, I could tell already that he was a much better driver than Nick. The one time I’d been in a car with Nick behind the wheel, he managed not only to hit a parked car, but also almost ran over Joe. Of course, I laughed about that for hours, but Joe wasn’t too fond of it.  
  
“So,” Kevin randomly started, “Tell me a bit about yourself.”  
  
“What’s to tell?”  
  
“How old are you? How long have you known my brother?”  
  
“I’m eighteen, nineteen in March. I’ve known Joe since I was a freshmen, but we weren’t friends, really. I’ve known Nick since I was a junior.”  
  
“And now you are what?”  
  
“I was a senior last year. Sadly, I’ve failed too much, and had to do another year.”  
  
He nodded in understanding, and all was quiet again. I stared down at my feet for quite a while, unsure really of what I would say if I didn’t. I wanted more than anything to just look at him, and hope he’d stare into my eyes, but I was sure that I would blurt out the wrong thing if I were caught staring at him. Suddenly, he took one hand off the wheel, and placed it on my hand, which was on my leg.  
  
“You nervous?”  
  
I nodded, “Kinda. This is my first date in over a year.”  
  
“Don’t worry. This is my first date in much longer. Everything will be fine.”  
  
As we stopped at a red light, he looked over to me and smiled, and I couldn’t help but feel warmed by that smile. It was suddenly then that something clicked in my mind. Kevin wasn’t just hot, and I didn’t just want to fuck him. I was falling for him, and badly. Part of me wanted to throw away that whole bet, considering it wasn’t fair to Kevin, but I attempted to push that to the back of my mind.  
  
“So,” I began as the light went green, “What movie do you want to see?”  
  
“I’m not sure, how about you?”  
  
“Something scary. I absolutely love horror movies.”  
  
“That sounds promising. A horror movie it is.”


	10. Chapter Ten

“Was that okay?”  
  
Slowly, Kevin and I exited the theatre, his arm over my shoulder. Throughout most of the movie we had been like this, him holding me close. It was actually quite comforting. I was never scared of horror movies, but that didn’t mean I didn’t like to be held while watching one. Glancing up at my date, I noticed him smiling down at me through his glasses, and I couldn’t help but smile back.  
  
“That was great, Kevin. Thank you.”  
  
“No, thank you for agreeing to go out with me.”  
  
“Well, why wouldn’t I?”  
  
“I’m not that popular. I...don’t talk to a lot of people.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
Kevin removed his arm from my shoulders and suddenly looked very thoughtful, which seemed to be a depressing look on him. We began walking slowly, so I assumed that he was trying to compose his words. When he stopped walking completely, I stopped with him, and just watched him. It looked somewhat like he wanted to breakdown, so I grasped his hand within mine for comfort.  
  
“You can tell me, Kevin.”  
  
“It’s just...I get scared. I’ve been hurt before. When I was in high school, I used to be so...”  
  
“So...?”  
  
“I was so lively. You’re the first person to make me feel that way since, and I’m scared.”  
  
Pulling the older boy closer to me, I put my arms around him, giving him a tight hug. I rubbed circles on his back in an attempt to comfort him, and waited for him to return the hug. When he did, I hugged tighter, partially afraid to let go. It was at that moment that I realized I wasn’t just falling for him, I’d already fallen, and hard. After a few minutes, he pulled back slowly, and just looked into my eyes.  
  
“I don’t want to be scared, Nathalie.”  
  
“You don’t have to be.”  
  
He grabbed both my hands with his, and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on my lips. I was about to return the simple kiss when he suddenly deepened it, pushing to allow his tongue in my mouth. I complied, and our tongues battled for dominance for a moment. His hands moved from my hands to my hips, and he held me closer, and we stayed this way until the both of us found the need for breath.  
  
“Wow,” was all I could say.  
  
“Do you want to head back?”  
  
I nodded, “Yeah, let’s go back to your place.”  
  
As we climbed into the car and he began to drive, I started to get so confused. It was the longest I had gone in months without thinking about sex, and this was supposed to be the situation where I did think about it. The bet was still going on, and I had only four days to get Kevin in bed, but my main thought wasn’t sleeping with him anymore. I just wanted to love him, and be there for him.  
  
“I had a great time tonight.”  
  
“Me too. You amaze me, Kev.”  
  
He just smiled, and kept silent after that. There was so much I wanted to say, but so much I couldn’t say. I wanted to tell him about me and Nick, the bet, and my feelings. I wanted to be completely honest with him, but I knew that I would probably lose him in the process. As we pulled into the driveway, Kevin turned and gave me a chaste kiss before exiting the car. I followed, straight up the yard and into the house.  
  
“Would you like something to eat?”  
  
I nodded, “Yeah, sure.”  
  
I sat at the dining room table as Kevin went into the kitchen and began to search through cupboards. There was a bowl of fruit in the center of the table, and suddenly I had an idea. Grabbing the banana, I peeled it quickly, and slid some into my mouth. As Kevin walked into the dining room, mouth opened to speak, he froze and just stared as I moved the banana slowly in and out of my mouth.  
  
“Want some?”  
  
“Uhh...uhh...no thanks, I don’t really like fruit.”  
  
“Pity. This tastes good.”  
  
I slipped the banana back into my mouth again, and slowly pushed it out then in, massaging it with my mouth. His gaze was on me, his mouth in a small ‘O’ shape. I glanced quickly down to his pants, which were tight enough to betray him, as I noticed that area of his pants began to swell. I giggled to myself and stood up, continuing the motion with the banana until I reached him. I removed the banana and smirked.  
  
“Having a problem down there, Kev?”  
  
“Uhh...no, I’m okay. Thanks.”  
  
“Really? Because I could help you if you wanted...”  
  
“Help? No, no –”  
  
“It’s okay, Kevin. I am all yours tonight.”  
  
He turned away, but I followed with, making sure I was facing him completely. Grinning, I lowered myself and kneeled down in front of him, fidgeting with the button on his jeans. As soon as I had them unbuttoned and unzipped, I pulled them down slightly, then did the same to the waistband of his briefs. I freed his throbbing member from it’s confines, and suddenly, I could sense him tensing up.  
  
“Relax. This’ll feel good.”  
  
I leaned in close, and teased the head with my tongue, causing him to shiver. I continued this for a moment longer until he whimpered, then quite suddenly took him into my mouth. Kevin gasped as I did this, and threw his arms backwards to grip the table for support. For a second I looked up at him, just to see the look on his face, before taking him deep within my throat. It wasn’t long before he shot his load right down.  
  
“Fuck, Nathalie!”  
  
“Wow,” I said, standing and wiping my lips, “I’ve never heard you curse.”  
  
“Well, I’ve never gotten a blowjob before.”  
  
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”


	11. Chapter Eleven

“Anybody there! Where am I?”  
  
I was frightened. I had opened my eyes to see that I was in a black purgatory-like setting. In my mind, I screamed that I must be dreaming, but I couldn’t be quite too sure. I mean, if I were dreaming, would everything feel so real. My senses were in overdrive. I could hear sounds all around, echoes of moans, but I couldn’t see anything. Taking steps, I feared I may fall off some edge, so I walked slowly.  
  
“Where is everybody?”  
  
Screaming out, I got no reply. All of a sudden, I saw a blue light. It was strange, but seemed intriguing, and I walked toward it. Where was I? Why was it all dark? Why was there this random blue light? I was beyond confused, and had so many questions to ask, but it seemed I had no one to ask it to. Suddenly, as I got closer, I could make out the shapes of people, on the floor within the light, and recognized those shapes too.  
  
“Joe! Dani! Thank God, I’ve found you!”  
  
Neither of them looked at me. They were too engrossed in each other to notice I was there. Joe’s hands were all over Dani’s body, trailing down from her breasts to her hips. They were locked in a passionate make-out session, but I realized nearly instantly that it was about to become more. Dani was pushing Joe’s jeans off as he pulled away slightly to remove his shirt, as well as hers.  
  
“You guys! I’m right here!”  
  
Nothing I said make a difference. It was clear that they couldn’t hear me as Joe removed Dani’s jeans as well, and began to trail down her body with open-mouthed kisses. As he reached her underwear, he grabbed them with his teeth, and yanked them down slowly. It was a minute or so before they were off, and I suddenly noticed that Joe had apparently been going commando, since it took absolutely no time before he thrust into her.  
  
“Fuck,” I whispered to myself, “Why am I watching this?”  
  
It was so intriguing, but I didn’t understand why. It wasn’t turning me on in the least, and I was partially disgusted. Like I really wanted to watch my friends fuck. Hearing Dani moan Joe’s name loudly was too much for me, and I turned away quickly, running as fast as I could. I had no idea where I was going, it was too dark to see, until I heard another voice. Stopping quickly, I glanced around.  
  
“Who else is here?”  
  
I felt then like I wanted to cry, but nothing was happening. The tears wouldn’t fall, no matter how much I needed them to. A light purple light then appeared as well, and within that light was Nick. I reached out to him, but he didn’t come toward me. He didn’t even acknowledge that I was there. I felt like I was going insane, what was going on? Surprisingly, Kevin then appeared too, walking toward Nick and speaking.  
  
“Where was Nathalie last night?”  
  
“She was sleeping with me.”  
  
“But...I thought she was different, I thought I could trust her.”  
  
“She’s just a fucking whore.”  
  
The tears burned my eyes then, but for some reason, they still refused to fall. It was as if my tears were mocking me, teasing me, letting my eyelids burn as I silently pleaded them to fall. The look on Kevin’s face, the one of hurt, was more painful than the malice on Nick’s face, and I couldn’t handle it. I turned again, and ran as quickly as I could. I had no idea how long I was running, but it stopped when I tripped and fell.  
  
“Motherfucker!”  
  
I closed my eyes in pain, but when I opened them, I noticed that I wasn’t in the black area anymore. I was in Nick’s room, in his bed. Sitting up, I was coated in sweat, and my breathing had become ragged. It had to have been a dream, that was the only explanation for it. Nick looked up at me before sitting up, a look of worry crossing his face. For a moment, I avoided looking at him.  
  
“Are you okay, Nat? You were crying in your sleep.”  
  
“It was just a bad dream.”  
  
“Do you need anything? You know I’m here for you.”  
It was unusual to see Nick be so sweet, but it did tend to happen. The sarcastic boy had a heart somewhere in there, and truly, he was there for me. I shook my head, but he still put his arm around me to try and ease me. I was still shaking, so he pulled me into a hug and the two of us stayed that way for a moment. Throwing my arms around his waist, I returned the hug, crying into his shoulder.  
  
“Do you want to talk about it?”  
  
I shook my head, and my best friend and I remained in the embrace for another few minutes. As I lifted my head, ready to back away, Nick suddenly attached his lips to it. I let out a gasp at the feeling, and tilted my head instantly to grant him more access. Slowly, his hand moved down to my tank-top, which he eased over my head gently. Sitting there in only my bra, I felt nice, since I had been sweating so much when I awoke.  
  
“Oh, Nick,” I moaned softly.  
  
He grabbed my hips with his hands, and gently eased me down onto the bed, his mouth still on my neck. Giving me one last nip, he switched to meet my lips, in which we engaged quickly in a hungry kiss. There was a pang in my stomach, though, and I didn’t feel right. As he pressed down on me, his hard on tight against my thin pyjama pants, I detached our lips and turned my head to the side.  
  
“What’s the matter, Nat?”  
  
“It doesn’t feel right, Nick.”  
  
“What doesn’t feel right?”  
  
“This. Us. What we’re doing…it doesn’t feel right.”  
  
“You’re feeling guilty.”  
  
Sighing, he climbed off of me. I knew he was not sighing because of me, or because I stopped what we were doing, but it was something deeper. He looked genuinely concerned as he turned on his side and faced me. The both of us just lay together, looking back at each other, as Nick tried to see through to my soul. One thing that boy could do easily was see through to my every thought and feeling.  
  
“You’re in love with Kevin.”  
  
Was that it? It did explain the dream, somewhat. Watching Joe and Dani fuck was probably my punishment for continuing the bet, and the pain I felt when Nick and Kevin discussed me was so intense. It had to be it. Nick usually knew what he was talking about, especially when being as serious as he was. I looked down a moment, unsure of what to think, before meeting my best friend’s gaze again.  
  
“I think you’re right, Nicky. I think I’m in love with your brother.”


	12. Chapter Twelve

“Do you want to call off the bet?”  
  
Did I want to call off the bet? I wasn’t quite sure. I felt so incredibly guilty for keeping it from Kevin, but I didn’t want to feel weaker than Nick by giving up. He looked pretty worried about me, I could tell, but I didn’t want him to feel he had to worry about me. Plus, if were to call off the bet, wouldn’t that meant I lost? I had no intentions of doing Joe’s laundry all month, or even once if at all.  
  
“I…I’m not sure…”  
  
“Do you still plan to sleep with him?”  
  
“Well, I’m already on my way…”  
  
“Woah, what?”  
  
“I kinda sucked him off tonight. Or last night, since it’s past midnight now.”  
  
Nick’s eyes widened, and I grinned. He certainly hadn’t seen it coming, that was for sure. I mean, his brother was a complete virgin, except for kissing, so it was unusual that he would allow himself to get sucked off. Although Kevin hadn’t exactly agreed to letting me do it, he hadn’t protested either, so technically he had allowed himself to get sucked off. Suddenly, Nick started laughing, which confused me.  
  
“What’s so funny?”  
  
“Nothing. It’s just, Kevin’s not as innocent as I thought. First those jokes with you, now this!”  
  
“Would it be horrible of me to say I’m proud?”  
  
“Nahh, I wouldn’t blame you.”  
  
I laughed along with him a moment before realizing I was only in my bra. My tank-top had ended up somewhere on Nick’s floor, amongst other garments of my clothing. Nick’s room was often very clean, but with me around, some disasters were unavoidable. Turning over and leaning over the side of the bed, I reached around for any sort of top. Pulling a grey T-shirt over my head, I turned back to my best friend.  
  
“Get some sleep, Nat.”  
  
Nodding to Nick, I closed my eyes, and attempted to drift off. It obviously wasn’t that difficult, considering the next time I opened my eyes, even though it had only felt like a moment, there was sunlight streaming through the window. Wincing a bit from so much light, I turned over to see Nick was still asleep. I poked him in the forehead, receiving a grunt from him, and in amusement, began to poke his chest too.  
  
“Whaddya want?”  
  
“Nicholas, get up. It’s morning.”  
  
“Is breakfast ready?”  
  
“I dunno, dipshit, so you’re gonna get up and find out.”  
  
Nick groaned, but sat up nonetheless. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, and ran his hand through his curls before standing. I smirked, and just continued to lay down. Whether Nick had noticed if I was following or not, I had no idea. It was about five minutes before he returned, still looking pretty tired. He just stood in the doorway for a moment, and yawned, before finally looking at me.  
  
“Joe and Kevin are up. Waffles are on the table.”  
  
Throwing the sheet off, I ran and met Nick at the door, and followed him as he slowly descended down the hall and the stairs. When we reached the dining room, Kevin and Joe were already sitting there, with a plate of waffles between them. I sat across from Kevin, and Nick sat beside me, and we could tell immediately that there was enough for us. I grabbed a couple and lathered them in syrup.  
  
“Excuse me, are you gonna have any waffles with your syrup?”  
  
I stuck out my tongue at Joe, who was laughing lightly about his joke. Kevin just shook his head, but seeing the smile on his face, I knew he was amused. It was then that I got a better look at Kevin. I had never seen him so early after waking up, so it surprised me at first when his hair wasn’t so straight. My best guess was that it was usually curlier if he hadn’t straightened it late in the evening.  
  
“So,” Joe began, “Did you sleep well last night?”  
  
“I guess so.”  
  
“So I’m guessing that loud ‘motherfucker’ was from something else, hmm?”  
  
“Oh. That. I had a bad dream.”  
  
At first Joe didn’t seem to believe me but when he saw the sad look on my face, I could tell that he knew. He wouldn’t understand exactly what it was about, but he knew I had a pretty frightening dream. I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable all of a sudden, so I knew I had to do something to change that. Noticing the bowl of fruit in front of me, I spotted a banana, a devious plan coming to mind.  
  
“Kevin, did you sleep well last night?”  
  
“Quite well, actually I –”  
  
He had suddenly stopped, and inhaled sharply. Nick and Joe looked at him weirdly, but I just smiled. I knew exactly what was wrong, and that was my foot pressing on his crotch. Kevin was wearing only boxers and a T-shirt, which made it incredibly easy to feel him get hard quickly. As I massaged the area with my foot even more, he began fidgeting in his seat, and struggling not to let out whimpers and moans.  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
He nodded, “Yeah Nick, I’m fine.”  
  
The voice we heard was different, slightly breathy and slightly scared. He was new to this whole ordeal, and probably didn’t know well how to hide what was happening. Nick glanced over to me a moment, and I just raised my eyebrow slyly, as to ask silently why he was looking at me. Instantly, he understood, and shook his head laughing. I continued on, and Kevin couldn’t keep back from letting out a whimper.  
  
Joe looked at him, “You sure you’re fine?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m fine, Joseph. I…uhh…I’ll be back!”  
  
Before I had the chance to do much else, he pushed his seat back and stood, running quickly from the dining room. I laughed, knowing exactly what he was going to do, and I considered following, but decided against it. I didn’t want to make it too obvious, although moments later, dawning seemed to come across Joe’s face anyway. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, giving me a sharp look.  
  
“You are corrupting him so much, you know that?”  
  
“Yupp, and I’m damn proud.”


	13. Chapter Thirteen

“Fuck, you eat way too much sometimes.”  
  
It was later in the afternoon, and Nick and I had decided to go to the mall, since there wasn’t much else to do. Kevin insisted that he had some work to do, but since he was so incredibly studious, we didn’t doubt it. Joe was sitting around, likely having Dani over, so Nick and I grabbed our coats and headed out. Sitting in the food court, I was stuffing myself with the second of two burgers and a jumbo thing of fries.  
  
“I’m hungry, okay?”  
  
“I’m surprised you’re not huge.”  
  
“I’m surprised you still have a dick.”  
  
Nick rolled his eyes and laughed sarcastically before pulling out his BlackBerry and texting. Considering we didn’t hang out with many other people than each other, the likeliness of him texting anyone but his brothers was low. I just continued to eat, as I felt surprisingly hungry, more than usual, even though I was often very hungry. Taking the last bite of my burger, I felt Nick tap me on the shoulder.  
  
“Nat, look who’s here.”  
  
I looked up, and growled inside, not doubting that I had on the outside as well. Not far from us in the food court happened to be Britny and her friends. Britny was someone I had known since freshman year, and we were friends at first, but now, we tend to ignore each other or get into fights. It had been a while since I properly fought her, but I was just waiting for the chance to come along.  
  
“Fucking hell.”  
  
“Control yourself, maybe she won’t notice us.”  
  
“Fuck, Nick, are you serious?”  
  
I had meant two things. I couldn’t believe he was asking me to control myself, because he knew I had no self control, and I also couldn’t believe that he thought she wouldn’t notice us. She definitely would, especially with Mitchell and Kayla with her. I groaned when I noticed her coming straight toward us, and concentrated on my food. That was difficult, though, since I heard her footsteps approaching.  
  
“Well, if it isn’t the bitch and the whore.”  
  
We never bothered to ask her which was which, although it didn’t matter much. She has called us both bitches separately, as well as whores. Of course, she had a different reason for calling me a whore than Nick, since she had been calling me one since freshman year, but that didn’t matter. I glared up at her, the gross smile with her huge teeth showing. She wasn’t entirely disgusting looking, but not too pretty either.  
  
“Fuck off, Britny. Leave us alone.”  
  
“No, I don’t think so. Kayla here said she saw you with an older man last night.”  
  
“Yeah, so?”  
  
“Have you finally given up on this bitch and found yourself a new whore?”  
  
“Fuck you. Kevin’s not like that.”  
  
I wanted to scream and rip her apart for speaking about Kevin like that. Whore? She didn’t even know him, and if she did, she’d probably know he was a virgin. Nick didn’t seem too pleased either, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the way she spoke about Kevin, the way she spoke about him, or the way she spoke about me. I wanted so badly to hurt her, but Nick gave me a look saying not to.  
  
“Kevin? Oh, we’ve got a name, people.”  
  
“Where did you find him?” Kayla asked. “Geeks are us?”  
  
“Shut up. Both of you.”  
  
“He looked like such an emo loser, but then again, he can’t do any better than you.”  
  
Britny nodded, “He couldn’t do worse either, already at the bottom.”  
  
I couldn’t take it anymore. I stood up, shaking the table as I did so, and lunged forward at Britny. Punching her square in the nose, I got the attention of everyone around me, especially when she kicked me in the shin. Sure, I was in pain, but that wasn’t enough. I tackled her to the floor, attempting to strangle her, and she kneed me in the stomach. It hurt more than I thought it could, but I didn’t care.  
  
“You guys, stop it! Nat, be careful, get off her!”  
  
Nick’s words couldn’t do anything to get me to stop. I was dead set on killing her, no matter if I would be imprisoned forever for it. Eventually, I felt two arms grabbing me off, and although I struggled to be let go, I was in too much pain. I allowed Nick to pull me back, and I breathed sharply as he held me. Tears were falling from my eyes, not from the pain or the fight, but from the intensity of everything.  
  
“Calm down, Nat. You’re okay.”  
  
“I hate her, Nick. I really hate her.”  
  
“I know. Just forget about it, think about Kevin.”  
  
Kevin. He would no doubt have been upset if I managed to kill her, considering I would be stuck in prison and away from him. Suddenly, I felt an intense wetness in my pants, and groaned. I knew I wasn’t turned on, so of course it had to be my period. I swore inwardly, cursing myself for having been born a girl. The stomach pain must have been cramps from this approaching menstruation.  
  
“Nat, are you sure you’re okay? You look a little pale.”  
  
“I’m fine, Nicky. Take me home.”  
  
By home, I had meant his place, but he knew me well enough to take me there anyway. The truth was that I was starting to feel a little woozy, and my head was spinning, but I didn’t want to admit it. Who knew that a brawl could cause so much trouble? At least we hadn’t been kicked out of the mall, but if I hadn’t looked so sick, they probably would have spoken to us. Slowly, Nick led me outside.  
  
“We’re gonna take the bus, okay?”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“I don’t want you walking like this.”  
  
A bus didn’t come much long after, and Nick made sure that we both got on it. The pain in my stomach increased, and I urged it to go away, but that did nothing. Looking down momentarily, I noticed my jeans were staining, and badly, and I had begun to wish that I had a tampon on me. Nick put his arm around me and held me close, making sure I was comfortable. It worked, because I felt my eyes fluttering shut.  
  
“Nicky,” I said meekly, “I’m gonna faint.”


	14. Chapter Fourteen

“What the fuck are you talking about?”  
  
I opened my eyes slowly, the room being much to bright, so I clamped them shut again. I wondered what time it was, and how I had got from the bus to a bed, but that didn’t matter. I knew I had fainted on the bus, I had seen it coming. The pain in my stomach was still there, but it had been eased a slight bit, and when I opened my eyes the second time, I noticed I was in a hospital room. Nick was arguing with a doctor.  
  
“She lost the baby when pressure was put on the abdomen –”  
  
“What baby? She’d have to be pregnant first!”  
  
“Sir, she was pregnant. Not far along of course, but far enough for a miscarriage.”  
  
My head began to spin again. They weren’t talking about me, were they? I wasn’t pregnant, I would have known if I had been pregnant. Although, I had missed my period, but it was usually late anyway so I didn’t question it. I groaned quietly, but loud enough to be heard, and Nick’s eyes went wide when he realized I was awake. There were tears in his eyes, and I could tell my best friend was beyond worried.  
  
“Nat! Oh God, you’re okay.”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“You passed out on the bus. I brought you here.”  
  
“What baby, Nick?”  
  
He gulped, and I knew that the information was passing through his head. Clearly, he had believed the doctor when he said that I was pregnant. I had to ask him anyway, although I was sure that I already knew the answer. He sat close and grasped my hand, definitely trying to think of how to say it all to me. The look was pretty evident in his eyes, and I knew exactly what was coming.  
  
“We were gonna have a baby, but…you lost it.”  
  
The look in his eyes betrayed him. He was crying, but that was for me. I could tell that he didn’t care much about the baby, since he had no idea about it while it was growing. To be honest, I didn’t care much either. It hurt being told that my baby died, but I hadn’t known about it, so I hadn’t had the chance to grow attached to it. I just continued to look at him, focusing on the tears staining his cheeks.  
  
“When can I leave?”  
  
“In a few hours. They want to check you over a bit first.”  
  
“Do they…I mean, at home…”  
  
“Do they know about what happened? No, they think we’re at the mall still.”  
  
“Good, I don’t want them to know.”  
  
“What about Kevin?”  
  
What about Kevin? I didn’t feel right lying to him, but I couldn’t rightfully tell him the truth about this without mentioning the recent sexual past I had with Nick. I sighed, realizing that I couldn’t handle the guilt of lying much longer. I was gonna tell him about everything, but I wasn’t gonna let everyone know. I would do it in private, in his room, sometime once I would be ready to tell.  
  
“I will. Eventually. For now, let’s keep this a secret.”  
  
Nick nodded, understanding exactly what had to be done. The doctor came over to check my blood pressure, and take a couple blood tests. I whimpered in fear, seeing as I was terrified of needles, but Nick held my hand tightly and comforted me through it. After they had finished taking my blood, the doctor suggested I rest, and Nick back him up on that. I insisted that I wasn’t at all tired, though.  
  
“That’s bullshit, Nat.”  
  
“It is not.”  
  
After that dream you had, I’m surprised you got any sleep. Rest now.”  
  
I mimicked him silently, causing him to glare, but also smile, because it meant that I was definitely okay. Nick knew what he was talking about, though, considering I fell asleep not long after. It had been a heavy sleep, one that I knew was happening, and when I next opened my eyes, I noticed that Nick had fallen asleep in the chair beside me. Smiling, I shook his hand a bit, and he groggily woke.  
  
“Nat? You feeling okay?”  
  
“I’m feeling fine. Can you find out when we can leave?”  
  
Nodding, he slowly stood and made his way out the door. Glancing over at the clock, I noticed it was already five in the evening. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Nick’s family was worried, but then again, we’d been gone later than that in the past. It was only a couple minutes before he returned, nodding. I went to stand up, and immediately Nick was by my side, attempting to help me up.  
  
“Screw off, Nick. I don’t need help.”  
  
“Fine, fine.”  
  
He backed up, and handed me my clothes from the nearest counter. I snatched them and went into the room’s bathroom, changing as quickly as I could. As I exited, the doctor was there to discharge me, and then sent Nick and I on our way. Smiling, I walked out of the room, my best friend following behind. The hospital was pretty far from his place, so he decided we ought to jump on a bus to get home.  
  
“So do you want to call off the bet yet?”  
  
I shook my head, “No. I’m not weak!”  
  
“That’s not it, Nat. You were pregnant. The same thing could –”  
  
“We were never safe.”  
  
“And you honestly believe you’ll remember to be while with Kevin?”  
  
Honestly? I wasn’t sure I would. I didn’t want to admit it to my best friend, but he was right. I would likely not remember to have safe sex with Kevin. Hopefully he would be sensible enough to think about it. I tried to put the thought out of my mind, but it was difficult. As the bus arrived and we climbed on, we were silent. After a while, though, the silence became horrifying to the both of us.  
  
“Just try, okay Nat?”  
  
“I will do my best. I just…I love him Nick.”  
  
“I know. Just don’t be such a whore about it, okay?”  
  
Grinning, I replied, “Hey, at least I’m not the fucking tease!”


	15. Chapter Fifteen

  
“So where were you two all day?”  
  
Nick and I had returned home around six in the evening, while Denise was making dinner. Of course, we took off immediately to his room, until Joe came to get us for dinner. We were pretty silent the whole way down, and throughout the first half of the meal, but nobody questioned it since they assumed we were just tired. I was eating quickly like normal, though, so no one assumed anything out of the ordinary.  
  
“Just the mall, mom.”  
  
“I don’t understand how one can spend hours in the mall.”  
  
“Oh, I could,” Joe butted in, “But don’t do it again Nick, we missed you.”  
  
“Yeah, sure then.”  
  
“It’s true. All of us did.”  
  
He stressed the last sentence, and I knew exactly what he meant. Looking up a bit, I caught Kevin’s gaze, and smiled at him. His hair hadn’t been straightened, I guessed because he hadn’t planned to leave the house, but his curly hair was just adorable. He looked so different with curly hair, but still pretty sexy. As soon as he smiled back, I went back to my spaghetti, forgetting about what happened.  
  
“Sorry we couldn’t please you then, Joe.”  
  
“Screw off, Nick.”  
  
“Hey,” Denise butted in, “Be nice to each other. Don’t say things like that, Joseph.”  
  
“Sorry mom.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Joe was definitely not sorry. I was sure Denise could tell, but she wasn’t about to say anything about it. I laughed lightly, and Kevin looked at me again, causing me to blush. Nick laughed when he noticed me blushing, and I kicked him under the table. As I did that, he choked a moment on his spaghetti, but mumbled an apology when everyone looked at him. Joe knew I kicked him, and stifled a laugh of his own.  
  
“So what’s everyone doing tonight?”  
  
“I unno mom,” Nick said. “Probably sitting around.”  
  
“Why don’t you all go sledding?”  
  
“Are you serious?”  
  
“Of course I am, honey. It’s nice out, no wind. It would be fun.”  
I could tell Nick didn’t want to go, and I didn’t particularly want to either. I hated the snow, and hated being in it, even if only for a short time. I didn’t want to end up frozen, mostly because I hated the feeling, but also because I didn’t want to have to take a hot bath while at the Jonas’ house. Nick was still grumbling about something, likely his mother’s idea, when Kevin suddenly perked up.  
  
“I wouldn’t mind going.”  
  
All thoughts of not wanting to go snapped away. Instead, just because Kevin wanted to, I wanted to as well. I felt as if I wanted to be anywhere he was, although the doctor had suggested I not get into intense physical activity anytime soon. I didn’t care, though, and just wanted to be close to the fan I was beginning to love. Taking another bite of spaghetti and swallowing, I smiled and looked up.  
  
“I’d love to go, too.”  
  
Nick snapped his head toward me, “What? You hate snow.”  
  
“Yeah, but it’s been forever since I’ve been sledding.”  
  
“With good reason.”  
  
“Nicholas,” Denise began, “Don’t pester her. So Nat and Kevin are going, who else?”  
  
“I’ll go,” Joe added.  
  
He was grinning as if he knew something we didn’t, and I knew somewhat of what must have been on his mind. He knew I was going just because Kevin was, that seemed pretty obvious, and he wanted to see the interaction that would go on. Glancing at Kevin, I saw happiness on his face, and I was glad to have helped with that. Picking up more spaghetti with my fork, I looked to my best friend a moment, giving him a pleading look.  
  
“Fine! I’ll go too. Happy?”  
  
Denise smiled, “Yes! I’m thrilled, you guys will have so much fun.”  
  
“Oh…I’ll bet.”  
  
As soon as we finished eating, I ran upstairs to Nick’s room to change into some warmer clothes. There wasn’t much I could do about my jeans, but I threw them aside and grabbed a pair of Nick’s skinny jeans, since mine were still stained. I threw on a sweater over my T-shirt, and ran downstairs to grab my coat. Nick was already standing there, wearing his coat and glaring back at me.  
  
“I fucking hate you.”  
  
“I love you too, Nicky. Come on, this could be fun!”  
  
“Why? So you can cuddle Kevin when you’re cold?”  
  
Honestly, I hadn’t thought of that, but Nick had given me a wonderful idea. If I got too cold, I really could cuddle to Kevin. The man was affectionate enough, and I didn’t doubt he’d hold me when I needed him to. I pulled on my winter boots, ignoring Nick’s sarcastic grumbling, and then heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Moments later, I noticed Joe standing there, grinning, as I stood up.  
  
“What are you so happy about?”  
  
“Oh, nothing.”  
  
“You’re such a fruit, Joseph.”  
  
“Oh, you wound me!”  
  
Making a face and pretending to swoon, he moved to grab his boots as well. I rolled my eyes, and stood with Nick, waiting as Joe dressed himself up for the cold. Just as Joe reached for his jacket, Kevin entered the room, already wearing his boots. I guess he must have kept them in his room, perhaps so nobody would take them. He reached for his trench coat, and then pulled a toque over his non-straightened hair.  
  
“Ready?”  
  
I nodded, “Ready as I’ll ever be!”  
  
“A little too ready if you ask me,” Nick muttered, though I could hear.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

“Where are we going?”  
  
As we stepped out the door, Kevin pointed to his left, motioning that we would be going that direction. I nodded and followed him, Nick behind me with Joe beside him. At least there really wasn’t any wind, so it wasn’t unbearably cold out, but it was still pretty chilly. I tried to remind myself that I had to try to enjoy it, though, because it wasn’t often after the holidays that I would see Kevin at all.  
  
“Is this the way to the ski hill?”  
  
“No Nick, this is the way to the mall.”  
  
It surprised me quite extensively to hear Kevin speak in the same sarcastic manner that Nick usually would. Weren’t they supposed to be complete opposites? I guess that proved that obviously Nick didn’t know his brother as well as he thought he did, and he knew it, since there was shock written all over his face. Kevin was obviously amused at everyone’s reactions, as his grin was huge.  
  
“Why does everyone look so shocked?”  
  
“Kevin,” Nick began, “You never speak like that.”  
  
“Not anymore,” Joe added.  
  
“Well, does it really hurt to be sarcastic? Come on Nick, you thrive in it.”  
  
I laughed, although along the side, I wondered whether Kevin knew of my sarcastic manner as well. It then dawned on me that this must have been what Kevin was like in high school, before he’d been hurt by whoever. This Kevin seemed a lot more fun, and I found myself wishing that this Kevin would stay around for a long time. Smiling, I walked faster, so that I was beside him as we trudged along.  
  
“How much longer until we get there?”  
  
“Only a few minutes. Are you telling me you’ve never been to the ski hill?”  
  
“Not really. No, I guess I haven’t.”  
  
He gave me this look as if he was hiding something, and I was unsure whether to take it positively or negatively. As he snaked his arm around my waist, I decided that I ought to take the look positively, and I leaned into him as we walked. Behind me, I could hear Joe and Nick talking and snickering, and it took all my will not to turn and slap them. Within minutes, though, we reached a large gated hill.  
  
“This is it.”  
  
I couldn’t disguise my gasp as we arrived. It was absolutely huge! Honestly, I was partially afraid to go down the hill, it looked like I could die if I fell! Joe approached soon, a look of love on his face, and I knew why. Joe’s nickname had always been ‘Danger’ for being such a clutz and a daredevil. Of course he was going to enjoy the hill. Just as Nick approached, Joe began bouncing around.  
  
“Come on! Race to the top!”  
  
“Joe –”  
  
Kevin’s attempt to stop his brother was useless, as Joe already began running up the hill, having a little difficulty since he was holding a sled. Nick, who was carrying another sled, followed him slowly. Kevin pulled his sled along and grabbed my hand, walking slowly with me. Even if I was scared, everything seemed to fit so well in place, I wasn’t about to ruin it. As we reached the top, though, I whimpered.  
  
“What’s the matter, Nat? Scared?”  
  
I glared at Nick, “Fuck you, bitch.”  
  
“You didn’t have to come, you know.”  
  
“I wanted to. It’s not that I’m scared, it’s just…snow.”  
  
I wasn’t believe completely dishonest. Sure, I was a little scared, but one of my main problems was the snow. I didn’t wanna fall and roll in it, getting cold everywhere. Although I said nothing more, I knew Kevin could sense my uneasiness, because he suddenly pulled me into his arms. It was a little awkward, no guy had ever treated me like that, but I wasn’t about to complain about it.  
  
“You can ride on my sled with me.”  
  
Looking up, I saw a smile on his face, and a gleam in his eyes. All I could do was nod, I was basically hypnotized by him. Even though I couldn’t see him, I knew Nick was rolling his eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him get down on his sled, and pulling out of Kevin’s grasp, I turned to see Joe doing the same thing. Kevin placed his sled down and motioned for me to sit first, and then climbed down behind me.  
  
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered.  
  
“I’m glad to have such a wonderful savior.”  
  
He chuckled, before turning to face his brothers. I saw exactly what this was gonna be – a race. I wasn’t sure I was ready to race, but as Joe began to count, I knew I had no choice. On the count of three, all three sleds were mounted. I began to panic, sure that I was supposed to be controlling my sled, but instead, Kevin’s arms came around front and grabbed the string. I leaned into him and sighed with relief.  
  
“We’re not gonna beat them.”  
  
“Then what’s the point of steering?”  
  
“So we don’t hit a tree. I know Joe will, and likely take Nick with him.”  
  
“You know your brothers really well.”  
  
“Even more than they think they know me.”  
  
Laughing, I could see exactly what he meant. When Nick always described Kevin, he was a moody emo boy. When I first met Kevin, I could see exactly what Nick meant, because he barely spoke or smiled. What Nick didn’t know, though, was that Kevin only acted that way due to bad memories. Inside, he was really a fun-loving guy, and I found myself determined to bring that Kevin out more.  
  
“I can’t see them!”  
  
“That’s because Joe’s already crashed.”  
  
Quickly, he pointed to our right, and there indeed was Joe laying in the snow, laughing his ass off. Nick was still going, but within moments, I noticed him flip over completely in the snow. It must have hurt, but he was laughing too, so it couldn’t be too bad. Kevin slowed us down, and we bypassed them slowly, grinning. I stuck my tongue out at Nick, who gave me the finger. Very carefully, Kevin eased us to the bottom and stopped.  
  
“Well,” he began, “Wasn’t that fun?”  
  
“Definitely.”


End file.
